


Innocence Died Screaming

by angelskuuipo



Series: From Eden [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, F/M, GFY, Kidnapping, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Series, bratva!Oliver
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-23 12:09:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3767650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelskuuipo/pseuds/angelskuuipo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak have met before, they just didn’t know it yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Innocence Died Screaming

**Author's Note:**

> So this happened. I don’t even know how to begin to explain it. We have yet to see how Oliver became Bratva, so this is a little bit of headcanon for how that might have happened. This had the potential to be a whole lot darker, but I managed to not go down that road. Most of that was for my own peace of mind, because I like Anatoly and don’t want to think he’d condone something like this. Title taken from ‘From Eden’ by Hozier. Big thanks to Elisabeth for the beta.
> 
> Written: April 16, 2015  
> Word count: 1,901

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Oliver Queen had done some pretty horrific things in the past few years to survive, but he didn’t have the stomach for this.

He was thankful to Anotoly Knyazev for getting him out of Hong Kong and owed the man a measure of loyalty. That was why he now wore the sign of the Bratva over his heart, but that loyalty did not extend to Anatoly’s hired thugs and their extracurricular activities. 

Oliver was fully aware that Anatoly ran guns, drugs, and prostitution, but he would be damned more than he already was if he got involved with human trafficking. As he looked over the group of six young women that were laid out around the room in a drugged haze, his stomach turned while he tried to formulate a plan to get them out without giving himself away.

One girl in particular caught his eye. She was pressed into the far corner, looking around wildly. Her gaze was unfocused, but he got the feeling it was for a reason other than that she’d been drugged. Speaking of, it looked like the drugs were wearing off for her and she was realizing how much trouble she was in. Her long hair was several shades of brown and blonde, hanging limply around her face. She was pale, but her full lips bloomed pink and he thought her eyes might be blue, but he couldn’t tell for sure from this distance. She was scratching at her wrists in such a way that he was afraid she was going to draw blood.

Making his decision, Oliver made sure the door was still locked and then he moved towards her cautiously. She pressed herself back into her corner as far as she could and he held his hands out to his sides to show he meant her no harm.

“I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. I’m here to help.”

She blinked at him owlishly. He was right, her eyes were blue. “You’re American.”

He nodded once.

“Are you with the CIA or Interpol or something?”

Oliver blinked at her. That was quite a leap to make just based on his accent. “Uh, no. Why would you think that?”

She slumped against the wall. “I thought you might be undercover and were here to rescue us.”

“Not exactly, but getting you all out of here is the plan. I could use your help.”

“Lis.”

He raised one eyebrow at her. “My name is Lis.”

He found himself giving her his real name before he could stop himself. He had no idea why, but he had a feeling he could trust her with it. “Oliver. Will you help me?”

“I’d love to, but I don’t know how much help I’ll be. Whatever that fucknut gave me really knocked me for a loop.”

Oliver snorted out a laugh and she gave him a crooked grin in return. He sobered quickly enough, because they didn’t have a lot of time. Glancing over his shoulder, he asked her, “Do you know the other girls?”

“Only in passing. We’re all competitors at the Collegiate World Tech Competition Finals. That’s why I’m in Moscow. My team’s project made the short list.”

Oliver swung his gaze back to Lis. She didn’t look like his idea of a tech nerd. Then again, neither did any of the others. It looked like smart was sexy now, and that was really not what he should be thinking about. Of all the… He closed his eyes and breathed deep. “They’re even stupider than I thought if they decided kidnapping a bunch of brilliant college students was a good idea,” he said lowly.

“Who, exactly, took us?”

“The Bratva.” When she just looked at him in confusion, he explained, “The Russian Mafia, but I’m pretty sure this was unsanctioned.” Her jaw dropped open and she just stared at him. Oliver looked around again as he tried to work things out. “What school?” he asked abruptly.

“Huh?”

“What school are you from?”

“Oh, MIT. Actually I graduated in 2009, but I was invited back to be one of the consultants for the team, because the they’re using one of the programs I wrote my Senior year and you don’t really care about any of that, so I’ll just stop now.” Oliver couldn’t help the smile that pulled at the corner of his lips. She was something else. Lis flushed and got back on track. “Um, I’m honestly not sure where the others are from. I’ve been a little preoccupied.” She snorted softly and rubbed her wrists again. “It figures the one time I decide to take a break, something like this happens.”

Oliver reached out and took her hands. Lis startled and looked at him warily. He ignored her eyes for the moment as he studied her arms. They were red from where she’d been rubbing and scratching, but there was something else… He met her eyes again and said softly, “I think you’re allergic to whatever drug they gave you. Are you having any trouble breathing?”

She swallowed and shook her head. “No, I’m okay. I didn’t finish my drink. I think that’s why I’m as with it as I am. My head feels a little floaty, and I feel like I’ve had an ice pick shoved through my eye, but it’s not as bad as it was earlier.”

“Good. That’s good.” He paused for a moment and then nodded to himself. He smiled at her reassuringly. “I’m going to make a phone call. With any luck, you and the others will be walking out of here soon, all right?”

She looked at him dubiously. “Why are you doing this?” When he just looked at her, she went on, “If you’re a part of this, why are you trying to help?”

He didn’t owe her any explanations, but Oliver found himself answering before he could think it through. “I’m not here by choice anymore than you are.”

Lis studied him and he was unnerved by the wheels he could see turning behind her eyes. Even drugged she was smart. She must be absolutely terrifying when she was firing on all cylinders. “You won’t come with us, though, will you?”

He shook his head. “I can’t, but I will make sure you all get back to your hotel safely.”

She looked at him for a few more moments before she nodded. “I believe you. Go make your phone call.”

Oliver moved away from her, but kept an eye on the room as he called Anotoly. He watched as Lis pushed herself off the floor and started moving to the other girls, trying to wake them.

When Anotoly answered, Oliver succinctly explained the situation and then breathed a silent sigh of relief when Anatoly roared in outrage at what his men had done. He gave Oliver carte blanche to deal with them as he saw fit and called for a limo to come pick up the girls. He was also sending a doctor to make sure no one was too adversely affected.

Oliver closed his eyes as he hung up. Anatoly might be a criminal, but he had a code of honor that he lived by, skewed as it might be. Oliver could appreciate that. He wouldn’t be surprised if there was money for the girls as an apology either. When he opened his eyes again, Lis was standing in front of him.

“There’s a car on its way, as well as a doctor to make sure you’re all alright.” She blinked at him, like she couldn’t really believe it was going to be that simple. He gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s going to be fine, Lis. I need to go take care of a few things, but I’ll come back when the car gets here, okay?”

He could tell that she knew exactly what he was about to do, but she didn’t call him on it. Oliver almost wished he would be able to see her again. She was quite remarkable. She caught him by surprise when she leaned up and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“Thank you, Oliver. I hope you find your own way out soon,” she murmured into his ear.

Oliver coughed and Lis stepped back. She watched him solemnly as he unlocked the door and closed it behind him. He never knew if she flinched when she heard the gunshots, because there was no way she wouldn’t have heard them, but somehow he thought she didn’t. He got the feeling that as far as she was concerned, justice had been served.

Maybe he was being fanciful, but it helped him sleep at night.

For two years, Oliver dreamed about the smile she’d given him before she walked into her hotel and out of his life. It was one of the few bright spots he had.

~*~

**Two Years Later**

Oliver needed a computer expert to see if any information could be pulled off of Deadshot’s laptop, but it wasn’t like he could just walk into a Buy More and hand off the bullet-riddled computer. That was bound to bring up questions he didn’t want to answer.

There was something to be said for having a large IT department at one’s disposal, though, as well as nondisclosure agreements. He asked around QC about who was the best with computers and every person said the same: Felicity Smoak.

He found her office without too much trouble and knocked on the partially closed door. It swung open at the pressure and he stepped inside. The woman at the desk apparently hadn’t heard him, though, because she was engrossed in the monitor against the wall across from the door. Her back was to him, so he couldn’t see her face, but he took in the long blonde hair that was tied back in a ponytail and light pink shirt she was wearing. 

He cleared his throat. “Felicity Smoak? Hi. I’m Oliver Queen.”

She squeaked in surprise and spun around to face him. Whatever lie he’d been planning to tell died on his tongue as he got a good look at the woman before him. She was wearing glasses, but he’d know those eyes and that mouth anywhere. “Lis?”

She blinked at him a few times and then her eyes widened in recognition. “Oliver?”

She was out of her chair and around her desk before he knew what was happening. She stopped in front of him and he carefully laid the laptop on her desk. They stood there, just looking at each other for several long moments. Then Felicity bit her lip and said, “So, I guess you managed to find a way out, huh?”

Oliver sighed, something inside him relaxing at her words. “Eventually, yeah.”

He opened his arms a little and she walked into them without hesitation. As he hugged her, he wondered why this felt so easy.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about,” she said, her words muffled against his chest.

He shouldn’t. He should walk away and keep her safe. But he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to. It made no sense, but he felt at ease with Lis, with Felicity. They were kindred and he was going to hold onto that.

“Yeah, I think we do.”

He had no idea what the future was going to bring, but he wasn’t going to be alone. He knew that much.

-30-


End file.
